Chair and couch



Aug. 30, 1932. '1 .1 KRQNHE|M 1,874,050

CHAIR AND COUCH Filed. March 19. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JV/CUB KRaNHE/M ATTORNEY Patented Aug. Bill, 1932 entree stares JACOB KRONHEIM, F CLEVELAND, OHIO CHAIR AND GOUCH Application filed March 19, 1930. Serial No. 437,168.

My invention relates to an improvement in chairs and couches, and the improvement resides more particularly in the structural aggroupment and assembly of parts, substantially as hereinafter shown and described and more concisely pointed out in the appended claims, whereby a strong and durable resilient seat or bottom is provided for a chair or couch.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a chair frame, partly in section, embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof. Fig.3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the front rail and the bottom member before assembly. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the chair frame shown in Fig. 1, on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a clip or bracket and a portion of a flexible bottom member connected therewith, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a similar clip or bracket, connected to a coiled spring and a section of a re-cnforcing border strip for the flexible bottom member. Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view on line 77 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 8 a perspective view of a modified form of a clamping device for the flexible bottom member.

The improvement comprises an open 39 frame A which is employed either as a rigid fixed part or a removable part of a chair or couch. The shape and dimensions of this frame varies, but it is usually rectangular or in part rectangular. In the present instance frame A has three straight angularly-related side rails 2 and a front rail 3 of irregular or compound curvature which projects forwardly at its middle. Suspended w'ithin frame A is a flexible bottonimemb'er B of corresponding outline but of smaller dimensions having three straight sides spaced apart from the three straight rails 2 and with the front portion 4 thereof conforming in shape to the irregularly curved front rail 3. Coiled springs 5 are stretched between the three straight-rails and the straight sides of bottom B to support the same yieldingly therein, and the front portion of bottom B is connected to the inner face of front rail 3 preferably by a border wire. VV'sewed in a hem.

Wire W is provided with loop portions L which extend through holes H in said front rail and anchored by one or more locking wires W threaded through loops L.

The attachment devices for bottom B consist of metal clips or brackets 0, all four rails of frame A having such clips or brackets nailed or screwed at spaced intervals to the inner faces thereof. Thus each clip or bracket C is a right-angled strip of metal, having short and long perforated branches or legs 6 and 7, respectively, adapted to be I seated against the bottom edge and inner face respectively, of each rail. The short horizontal branch 6 and the lower angular part of the long vertical branch 7 is made narrower than the upper part of branch 7 thereby providing shouldered portion 8 in the clip near the angle or bend 9 therein, and the narrowed part between this shouldered portion 8 and the angle or bend 9-is formed with a curved offset or loop 10 adapted to extend to one side of the plane of vertical branch 7. This offset or loop 10 is perforated in two places 1111 above and below its center to permit the hook end 12 of spring 5 to be securely connected therewith. All the springs 5 at the three inner sides of frame A are connected to the loops 10 of the respective clips in that way, and the loops 10 of the clips C on the irregular-shaped front rail 3 provide hinge members or pivot connections for folded metal clamping strips 15 at the border edges of bottom B.- Thus, bottom B is made of two superposed pieces 12 and 14, respectively, of woven fabric firmly fastened or bound together at their corresponding edge or border portions on three sides of the figure by folded metal clamping strips 15, whereas the irregularly-curved front portion has the border wire W hemmed therein. The upper piece 14 of fabric is loosely woven material, for example, burlap, while the base portion or piece 12 is preferably more closely-woven material or a stronger piece of the same material adapted to provide a flatseat or supporting base for a bank of spiral springs E. These springs have open-ended base loops 16 which may be turned spirally into interconnection with the loosely woven top 12 to hold metal strips 15.

the springs E in definitely spaced relation. Consequently the two superposed pieces of fabric must be secured together to anchor the springs in their predetermined spaced relation, which result is effected by binding and clamping the edges of the superposed pieces of fabric together by means of the foldable To promote that purpose further, the folded strips'15 are serrated or provided with angular teeth at their opposite clamping edges 18, see'Fig. 5. The strips 15 are also perforated at intervals to permit the suspensory springs 5 to be hooked thereto and to the pieces of fabric clamped therebetween. In addition, the two parallel border strips 15 of bottom B have transverse slots 18 at their corresponding ends to permit a pivoted or hinged connection to be made with the loops 10 on the clips C fastened to frontrail 3, see Fig. 1. Each border strip 15 may also be formed with rounded extensions or enlargements 19 at intervals opposite the point of attachment for the springs 5 to reenforce or strengthen the bottom at these places where the greatest strain'is centered under load. The sides of the folded strip 15 may also be united together through the fabric pieces clamped ,therebetween, using a grommet or rivet 20or equivalent fastening means at each extension or enlargement 19, see Fig. 1. I

Clamping pieces 21 may also be folded around the border strips 15 and fastened together by grommets 22, rivets or equivalent means, especially at such points or places where a heavy direct. strain is applied as shown at the right or one end of bottom B in Fig. 1..

The opposite or front end of bottom B is supported by wire W, and the loops L thereof are preferably arranged on radial or converging lines to conform to the curved shape of the front rail and the lines of stress under load. The front end of each loop L is bent at right angles to the plane of bottom B to provide a round eye 23 adapted to protrude into a slot 24 in the front face of rail 3. Locking wire W is threaded through all the eyes 23 to anchor and lock bottom member B to said rail 3. l

The clamping devices 21 are provided with serrations or teeth 21 at their edges to grip y the fabric, and perforations or openings 25 may be formed in one overlapping part and a crimping flange or projecting portion 26 may be provided in the companion part i to'efi'ect interlocking in substantially the same way as a grommet or rivet, say as exemplitied. in the clamping devices 21 shown in Fig. 7. Accordingly, the superposed pieces 12- and 14 of Woven material forming the main body of bottom B are attached firmly together, and the whole bottom is sufficiently strong and durable to withstand heavy strains and pulls from all directions without tear .hooked portions at opposite ends.

whereof I affix my signature.

or rupture, while supporting the load flexibly or yieldingly for the purposes intended.

It is also the practice in building up a spring seat to tie the springs E and place them under tension before upholstering the seat, and to facilitate that purpose a corrugated wire F is fastened to the upper edge or top of the frame.

What I claim, is:

1. In a chair or couch, a frame, a flexible bottom made of woven fabric having a binding strip clamped to the border edges thereof, and springs connecting said bottom at said binding strip to said frame, shaped to form enlarged clamping areas for said flexible bottom opposite said springs.

2. In a chair or couch, a frame, a series of brackets having curved loop portions extending therefrom and attached to said frame a flexible bottom having metal border strips pivotally interlocked at their corresponding ends with the curved loop portions of the brackets at one side of said frame, and suspension springs connecting said strips at spaced intervals thereof with the curved portions of brackets attached toother sides of said frame.

3. In a chair or couch, an open frame composed of a series of wooden rails, a series of holes in one of said 'rails; a flexible bottom yieldably suspended within said frame; a border Wire for said bottom, having loops twisted to lie in planes perpendicularly related to the axis of said wire and threaded through the holes of said rails; and a locking 1:.

wire threaded through said loops and connected with said frame.

4. In a chair or couch, a frame, a flexible bottom, and a bracket of angular formation adapted to be affixed to the frame having a narrower semi-circular offset portion near the angular corner therein, said offset portion including a pair of openings vertically aligned with respect to each other to permit pivotal interlocking of with a spring embodying symmetrically In testimony J ACOB KRONHEIM.

said offset portion said strip being 

